Galápagos Islands: The Giant Tortoises of Santa Cruz

Wow. Our last day on Galápagos Islands was one I will never forget.

After a jam-packed week, I chose to take the morning off to do some souvenir shopping and just generally have some time to myself. A few thoroughly enjoyable hours later I was back at my hotel meeting up with the group to embark on our last excursion. Talk about saving the best for last. A 45 minute bus ride, and several giant tortoise sightings later—even some just randomly crossing the road— we were on the highlands of Santa Cruz ready to visit Rancho El Manzanillo, a giant tortoise reserve where it’s estimated some 3,300 of these gentle giants live, as they were meant to: in the wild. The sight was simply awe-inspiring and yes, magical.

The slow race to keep the Galapagos Giant Tortoise alive

When man first arrived on the islands in the 1500’s these were some of the first creatures they encountered. It is estimated at the time, there were 250,000 giant tortoises roaming the islands. Today there are 30 to 40,000. Only 11 of the 15 original species remain. A few of you may have heard of Lonesome George. The last of his species, he died in 2012 having never successfully mated despite the desperate attempts of conservationists hoping to keep his lineage going.

Since then however, the effort to bring back these endangered species have been reasonably successful. Breeding programs, like the one on Isabela Island and here in Santa Cruz have borne thousands of Giant Tortoises that now live in the wild. How long they live is still an unknown. Scientist know they can surpass 100 years in age. It’s believed some may live as long as 150 years. But because for so long humans were more interested in hunting the tortoises, rather than saving them, there isn’t enough data on this particular piece of info just yet. By the time there is an answer to that question none of us reading this will be around.

EPILOGUE

The past week in Galápagos Islands has been nothing short of spectacular. From the colonies of sea lions on San Cristóbal, to the pods of dolphins on Floreana. From snorkeling in a sea turtle reserve, to exploring the nesting site of thousands of marine iguanas on Isablela. From the giant manta rays to the baby sharks. From kayaking alongside blue-footed boobies and penguins to walking among some of this planet’s oldests and gentlest creatures. I am grateful for the opportunity to finally visit after so many years of longing. There are countless treasures here, both above and below water. So many I am sure that I only just scratched the surface of what the archipelago has to offer. But it was enough. For now.